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State lawmakers Thursday reached agreement on a state operating budget that doesn’t close tax breaks or provide a pay increase for teachers. Overall it increases state spending by roughly $155 million, of which $89 million will pay for increased costs of running state services and the rest goes toward new spending, including an additional…

Sen. Tracey Eide, D-Federal Way, announced she won’t run for re-election in the 30th Legislative district this year. “Shortly after my re-election in 2010, I decided that this term would be my last and that I would pour myself into this term and then open the door for someone else,” Eide said in a statement. “That…

The state Senate on Tuesday voted to force Medina property owners and the City of Seattle to pay for any cost overruns associated with construction of the new Highway 520 bridge, and then had second thoughts. The back story? Sen. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, proposed an amendment to the Senate’s transportation budget that would restate existing law…

The state House on Tuesday, by a whopping 90 to 7 vote, approved a proposal to spend $700 million on the construction of new classrooms. The lopsided vote in the House, however, may have little bearing on how the measure will do in the Senate. “I don’t see it getting much traction in our caucus,” said state…

It’s increasingly unlikely state lawmakers will move forward with a multi-billion dollar transportation tax package before the regular session ends on March 13. Negotiators say they’re still stuck on many of the same issues that have bogged down talks for more than a year. Both sides accuse each other playing politics — always an odd accusation…

The state Senate on Monday released a proposed budget that would throw some additional money into public schools but nowhere near the amount called for by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee. Inslee last month called for putting an additional $200 million into K-12 education, including cost-of-living pay increases for teachers. The budget released by…

OLYMPIA — State lawmakers found something they could agree on Tuesday — allowing students brought here illegally as children to be eligible for financial aid. The House voted 75 to 22 to pass Senate Bill 6523 and send it to the governor, who has said he supports the legislation. The measure, approved by the Senate last…

Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee says he felt bad for Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning when he encountered him walking alone after the Seahawks trounced his team 43 to 8 this past Sunday in the Super Bowl. Inslee was leaving MetLife Stadium down a long hallway when he saw the quarterback. “He’s all alone. There was no entourage…

The GOP-led majority in the Senate tried and failed on Wednesday to pass a measure that would send voters a constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote in the Legislature to increase taxes. Senate Joint Resolution 8213 got 25 votes in the Senate, which is a majority. But it takes a supermajority vote of two-thirds…

Some Boeing Machinists, still angry about the recent contract vote that secured production of the 777X in Washington state, plan to picket an aerospace conference Gov. Jay Inslee will speak to Wednesday night. “Governor Inslee disrespected union members and acted against the labor community who he has promised to protect,” Shannon Ryker, a member of Machinists…

About this blog

Politics Northwest is the go-to blog for politics in our region. The blog explores national, state and local political news and issues. Reporters from Washington, D.C., to Seattle City Hall to the state capital in Olympia contribute. Editors are Richard Wagoner and Beth Kaiman.